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Random Encounter 315 – Sleepless in Ephinea

Posted by Jonathan Logan on February 3, 2025

On this episode of Random Encounter, it’s a double dose of sci-fi and fantasy! First, Aleks joins us to talk about Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector, a sci-fi RPG with a strong tabletop influence. As a sequel to 2022’s Citizen Sleeper, Starward Vector expands its universe with multiple settings and… Read More »

Wild ARMs

Posted by Matt Wardell on February 2, 2025

Passing decades are not kind to games, and if developers and publishers do not continually maintain and update the classics, they become lost to all but those few players willing to do their video game homework. While playing Tokyo-based developer Media.Vision’s JRPG classic Wild ARMs sometimes felt… Read More »

RPGs Coming This Week, 2/2/25

Posted by Gio Castillo on February 2, 2025

In this edition of RPGs Coming This Week, we tackle the sequel to a much talked about CRPG, plus a small selection of indie game goodness. Trust me, folks, February’s going to get a lot busier very soon. You’d better strap in. Kick things off? Let’s. Kingdom Come: Deliverance II – February 4th (PS5,… Read More »

Genso Manège

Posted by Audra Bowling on January 31, 2025

Love can be a magical thing, a conceit that the otome visual novel Genso Manège leans into right at the start, with its bright yet soft pastel-colored visuals hiding a darker story about overcoming hardship and trauma. Even more than its enchanting visuals, the narrative contrast of darker aspects b… Read More »

Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector

Posted by Aleks Franiczek on January 30, 2025

What if Mass Effect’s gameplay focused on surviving and inciting change in an interplanetary, corporately wrought dystopia instead of shooting things in the face? I imagine Jump Over the Age’s solo developer, Gareth Damian Martin, asked a question along these lines when planning the development of C… Read More »

Retro Encounter 452 – Final Fantasy IX Part II

Posted by Zach Wilkerson on January 30, 2025

Bring my beloved Retro Encounter to me. This week we dive into the second half of Final Fantasy IX, chatting about the emotional story beats, rooster men, and terrible card games that some of us somehow enjoy. Does it still hold up all these years later? Listen in to find out! Featuring: Zach Wilker… Read More »

Coridden

Posted by Jerry Williams on January 29, 2025

Coridden is the archetypical indie game. While many AAA titles play it safe with too much money on the line, indies are usually free of this pressure and can explore their wonderful ideas without reservation. At the same time, lack of experience or limited team sizes rear their heads and a misshapen… Read More »

Eternal Strands

Posted by Tom Naylor on January 27, 2025

From Canadian studio Yellow Brick Games, founded by former Dragon Age series lead designer/creative director Mike Laidlaw, comes their debut title Eternal Strands, an “open-zone” action-adventure that sells itself on its blend of dynamic magic and physics systems to create a truly unique gameplay ex… Read More »

Rhythm Encounter 153 – Build Your Own RPG Soundtrack: Hard Mode

Posted by Mike Salbato on January 27, 2025

Almost exactly a year ago, four panelists came together to build a soundtrack to an imaginary RPG out of 8 fragments of other RPGs. Today, we’re doing it again, except our “Hard Mode” rules dictate that we must choose songs from our source games with different use cases. So our Town Theme could be a… Read More »

RPGs Coming This Week, 1/26/25

Posted by Audra Bowling on January 26, 2025

In this edition of RPGs Coming This Week, we close out January with a first-rate slate of long-awaited sequels and strong new titles. It feels like I say this every time, but we are so utterly spoiled for choice, and I love it. Nothing lasts forever, of course, but I hope our RPG renaissance endures… Read More »

Phantom Brave: The Lost Hero

Posted by Sean Cabot on January 23, 2025

I’ve been a fan of Nippon Ichi’s output for most of my life, especially their Disgaea series. Its particular flavor of zany anime humor and action was incredibly formative for me, and I remain fond of it to this day. But Disgaea was only one of the several RPGs they produced, many of which only saw… Read More »

Random Encounter 314 – The Switch 2 is Real (and Other Stories)

Posted by Jonathan Logan on January 20, 2025

On this episode of Random Encounter, Jono is back to chat with the panel about two recent big January releases! First up, Wes has managed to fight through hundreds upon hundreds of foes to deliver their verdict on Dynasty Warriors: Origins! This latest entry in the long-running series dramatically c… Read More »

RPGs Coming This Week, 1/19/25

Posted by Gio Castillo on January 19, 2025

In this edition of RPGs Coming This Week, our slate is populated by all manner of rereleases. From the latest high-profile PC port to a remake of an under-the-radar indie title, the industry continues churning out the good stuff, even if most of it isn’t new new. So, join me as we inspect the latest… Read More »

Freedom Wars and the Not-So-Delicate Art of Player Disempowerment

Posted by Pete Leavitt on January 18, 2025

Freedom Wars does nearly everything right thematically. From the first moments, you’re slapped with a million-year sentence for a mysterious crime you allegedly committed. You must now live out your sentence in a post-apocalyptic penitentiary known simply as The Panopticon. A notice explodes onto th… Read More »

The Legend of Heroes: Trails through Daybreak II Preview (Part 2) + 2 Demos Coming

Posted by Zek Lu on January 16, 2025

Thanks again to the wonderful team at NIS America, we got a second exclusive sneak peek at The Legend of Heroes: Trails through Daybreak II. As mentioned in our first preview, even though the first Trails through Daybreak only just arrived in July, its sequel is already on the horizon. As devoted Tr… Read More »

Retro Encounter 451 – Final Fantasy IX Part I

Posted by Zach Wilkerson on January 16, 2025

Doesn’t it feel nice to listen to Retro Encounter under the stars? This week, the new host and a few huge fans dive into the first half of Final Fantasy IX. How does this classic hold up? Do we like the combat? Which monster doesn’t like Vivi very much? Listen in to find out! Featuring: Zach Wilkers… Read More »

Demonschool Q&A with Creative Director Brandon Sheffield

Posted by Aleks Franiczek on January 15, 2025

I had a great time with the Demonschool demo over the summer, so it was a pleasure to interview the school’s principal game’s creative director (and founder of Necrosoft Games) Brandon Sheffield. We conducted the Q&A over email, where Sheffield revealed some fun and intriguing insights into the… Read More »

Tales of Graces f Remastered

Posted by Paul Skevington on January 15, 2025

Even before Tales of Graces f Remastered, approaching the Tales series in 2025 feels like a monumental task. Now in its thirtieth year, it spans multiple titles with some gated behind older, potentially less accessible hardware. Tale of Graces f Remastered forms part of Bandai Namco’s ongoing effort… Read More »

Lunar Remastered Collection Launches April 18th

Posted by Tin Manuel on January 14, 2025

Publisher GungHo has announced that Lunar Remastered Collection will be released on April 18th for PlayStation 4 (with PS5 compatibility), Xbox One (with X|S compatibility), Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam. In addition to the digital version, series illustrator Toshiyuki Kubooka’s new cover art fo… Read More »

Rhythm Encounter 152 – New Year, New Music

Posted by Mike Salbato on January 13, 2025

Between our recent milestone of 150 episodes and the start of a new year, we will have some fun changes coming to Rhythm Encounter, starting with this episode. New games and music release all the time that don’t always fit with our episode themes. Starting today, we will release a “new music” episod… Read More »

Dynasty Warriors: Origins

Posted by Wes Iliff on January 13, 2025

It’s a weird experience when one of your favorite series is the industry’s favorite punching bag. Dynasty Warriors endures all manner of accusations of laziness and thoughtlessness that boil down to a belief that the series was born stagnant. Some of that reputation has been earned. Still, fans will… Read More »

RPGs Coming This Week, 1/12/25

Posted by Kyle Cantelon on January 12, 2025

In this action-packed edition of RPGs Coming This Week, we get the first in a promising series of Tales remasters, plus a new entry in the preeminent musou series. Also, two standout indie releases that are varying degrees of roguelike! Let’s go ahead and dive in, shall we? Final Knight (Entering Ea… Read More »

Rise of the Ronin

Posted by Tom Naylor on January 11, 2025

At first glance, Rise of the Ronin may seem like Japan’s answer to 2020’s Ghost of Tsushima, and while there are definitely numerous comparisons to draw between the two, Team Ninja’s odyssey through mid-19th-century Japan stands firm as its own beast, overdelivering on its promise of the first open-… Read More »

Are You Part of Their World or Just Expected to Save It? Reporting on Progress in EarthBound and Fallout

Posted by Nick Mangiaracina on January 8, 2025

Did you know that hotels used to provide a newspaper at your door every morning? The practice started in the first half of the 19th century and technically still exists, though you won’t find a newspaper at your door anymore. Instead, you most likely have to ask for a newspaper at the front desk. In… Read More »

Xuan Yuan Sword: The Gate of Firmament

Posted by Paul Skevington on January 7, 2025

Xuan Yuan Sword: The Gate of Firmament is the latest entry in the long-running Xuan Yuan Sword series from Softstar Entertainment, with the first game appearing in 1990. Until this point, I have never given it a try. Our very own Audra Bowling reported a positive experience with the most recent titl… Read More »

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